The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a…

(2.) The Tradesman ought to watch against Envy; whereby a Man hath an evil Eye at those that seem to be in a better Condition than himself. There's one in more Credit than I; another gets far more Money than I; such and such live without Care and Pains; Riches flow in upon them; they have what Heart can wish. Sure the World is unequally divided; we are as skilful and diligent, as honest as they, but they go away with all the Wealth, and we sit down with all the Labour. See what a House, and what rich ⟨p. 176⟩Furniture yonder is, how they can lay up and how they can spend, how they—. And what is all this to thee? Is thine Eye evil because God's is good? A little Modesty would teach thee that he hath Wisdom to know where to bestow his Gifts. Alas he sees, that thy Neighbour's high Estate, and thy high Spirit would undo thee: he knows what's fit for him, and he knows what's fit for thee: he knows that a Competence, and Heaven at the end of it, is enough for thee, if thou be his Child, and it is too much, if thou be his Enemy: While you have more than you deserve, you need not care what God bestows upon others.

And then for those you envy, you know not the Burdens they lie under; you see their seeming Happiness, but you see not their real Miseries: You envy their brave Houses, but you see not the Cares, the Fears, and Discontents that commonly lodge within them; you are vexed at the bravery of their Apparel, but you would pity them, if you knew the Diseases that are under it. Their Cares and Troubles are proportionable to their Estates, and so are their Temptations. A wise Man would not have their Estates a Year, for the Temptations they have in an Hour; Temptations to Pride, to Flesh-pleasing, to Covetousness, to Atheism: What Fuel do their Estates lay up for these Sins? And then the greatness of their Account, and the imminent danger they are in of missing Heaven at last, makes their Condition to require your Compassion, rather than your Emulation. Therefore, Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the Glory ⟨p. 177⟩of his House is increased: For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his Glory shall not descend after him: